Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 626/2011 of 4 May 2011 supplementing Directive 2010/30/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council with regard to energy labelling of air conditioners

Article 1

Subject matter and scope

This Regulation shall not apply to:

Article 2

Definitions

In addition to the definitions set out in Article 2 of Directive 2010/30/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council (¹), the following definitions shall apply:

(1) ‘air conditioner’ means a device capable of cooling or heating, or both, indoor air, using a vapour compression cycle driven by an electric compressor, including air conditioners that provide additional functionalities such as dehumidification, air-purification, ventilation or supplemental air-heating by means of electric resistance heating and appliances that may use water (either condensate water that is formed on the evaporator side or externally added water) for evaporation on the condensor, provided that the device is also able to function without the use of additional water, using air only;

(2) ‘double duct air conditioner’ means an air conditioner in which, during cooling or heating, the condensor or evaporator intake air is introduced from the outdoor environment to the unit by a duct and rejected to the outdoor environment by a second duct, and which is placed wholly inside the space to be conditioned, near a wall;

(3) ‘single duct air conditioner’ means an air conditioner in which, during cooling or heating, the condensor or evaporator intake air is introduced from the space containing the unit and discharged outside this space;

(4) ‘rated capacity’ (Prated) means the cooling or heating capacity of the vapour compression cycle of the unit at standard rating conditions;

(5) ‘end-user’ means a consumer buying or expected to buy an air conditioner;

(6) ‘point of sale’ means a location where air conditioners are displayed or offered for sale, hire or hire-purchase.

Additional definitions for the purpose of Annexes II to VIII are set out in Annex I.

Article 3

Responsibilities of suppliers

Suppliers shall take action as described in points (a) to (g):

(a) a printed label is provided for each air conditioner respecting energy efficiency classes as set out in Annex II. The label shall comply with the format and content of information as set out in Annex III. For air conditioners, except single and double duct air conditioners, a printed label must be provided, at least in the packaging of the outdoor unit, for at least one combination of indoor and outdoor units at capacity ratio 1. For other combinations, the information can be alternatively provided on a free access web site;

(b) a product fiche, as set out in Annex IV, is made available. For air conditioners, except single and double duct air conditioners, a product fiche must be provided at least in the packaging of the out door unit, for at least one combination of indoor and outdoor units at capacity ratio 1. For other combinations, the information can be alternatively provided on a free access web site;

(c) technical documentation as set out in Annex V is made available electronically on request to the authorities of the Member States and to the Commission;

(d) any advertisement for a specific model of an air conditioner shall contain the energy efficiency class, if the advertisement discloses energy-related or price information. Where more than one efficiency class is possible, the supplier or the manufacturer, as appropriate, shall declare the energy efficiency class for heating at least in ‘Average’ heating season. Information in the cases where end-users cannot be expected to see the product displayed is to be provided as set out in Annex VI;

(e) any technical promotional material concerning a specific model of an air conditioner which describes its specific technical parameters shall include the energy efficiency class of that model as set out Annex II;

(f) instructions for use are made available;

(g) single ducts shall be named ‘local air conditioners’ in packaging, product documentation and in any advertisement material, whether electronic or in paper;

(h) an electronic label in the format and containing the information set out in Annex III is made available to dealers for each air conditioner model placed on the market from 1 January 2015 with a new model identifier, respecting energy efficiency classes set out in Annex II. It may also be made available to dealers for other air conditioner models;

(i) an electronic product fiche as set out in Annex IV is made available to dealers for each air conditioner model placed on the market from 1 January 2015 with a new model identifier. It may also be made available to dealers for other air conditioner models.

For the air conditioners, except for single and double duct air conditioners, the format of the label set out in Annex III shall be applied according to the following timetable:

(a) as regards air conditioners, except single duct and double duct air conditioners, placed on the market from 1 January 2013, labels with energy efficiency classes A, B, C, D, E, F, G shall be in accordance with point 1.1 of Annex III for reversible air conditioners, with point 2.1 of Annex III for cooling-only air conditioners and with point 3.1 of Annex III for heating-only air conditioners;

(b) as regards air conditioners, except single duct and double duct air conditioners, placed on the market from 1 January 2015, labels with energy efficiency classes A+, A, B, C, D, E, F, shall be in accordance with point 1.2 of Annex III for reversible air conditioners, with point 2.2 of Annex III for cooling-only air conditioners and with point 3.2 of Annex III for heating-only air conditioners;

(c) as regards air conditioners, except single duct and double duct air conditioners, placed on the market from 1 January 2017, labels with energy efficiency classes A++, A+, A, B, C, D, E, shall be in accordance with point 1.3 of Annex III for reversible air conditioners, with point 2.3 of Annex III for cooling-only air conditioners and with point 3.3 of Annex III for heating-only air conditioners;

(d) as regards air conditioners, except single duct and double duct air conditioners, placed on the market from 1 January 2019, labels with energy efficiency classes A+++, A++, A+, A, B, C, D shall be in accordance with point 1.4 of Annex III for reversible air conditioners, with point 2.4 of Annex III for cooling-only air conditioners and with point 3.4 of Annex III for heating-only air conditioners.

Article 4

Responsibilities of dealers

Dealers shall ensure that:

(a) air conditioners, at the point of sale, bear the label provided by suppliers in accordance with Article 3(1) on the outside of the front or top of the appliance, in such a way as to be clearly visible;

(b) air conditioners offered for sale, hire or hire purchase where the end-user cannot be expected to see the product displayed, are marketed with the information provided by suppliers in accordance with Annexes IV and VI. Where the offer is made through the internet and an electronic label and an electronic product fiche have been made available in accordance with Article 3(1)(h) and 3(1)(i) the provisions of Annex IX shall apply instead;

(c) any advertisement for a specific model of air conditioner contains a reference to the energy efficiency class, if the advertisement discloses energy-related or price information. Where more than one efficiency class is possible, the supplier/manufacturer will declare the energy efficiency class at least in ‘Average’ season zone;

(d) any technical promotional material concerning a specific model which describes the technical parameters of an air conditioner includes a reference to the energy efficiency class(es) of the model and the instructions for use provided by the supplier. Where more than one efficiency class is possible, the supplier/manufacturer will declare the energy efficiency class at least in ‘Average’ season zone;

(e) single ducts shall be named ‘local air conditioners’ in packaging, product documentation and in any promotional or advertisement material, whether electronic or in paper.

Article 5

Measurement methods

The information to be provided under Article 3 shall be obtained by reliable, accurate and reproducible measurement procedures, which take into account the recognised state of the art calculation and measurement methods, as set out in Annex VII.

Article 6

Verification procedure for market surveillance purposes

When Member States assess the conformity of the declared energy efficiency class, the annual or hourly energy consumption, as appropriate, and the noise emissions, they shall apply the procedure laid down in Annex VIII.

Article 7

Revision

The Commission shall review this Regulation in the light of technological progress no later than five years after its entry into force. In particular, attention will be paid to any significant changes in market shares of various types of appliances.

Article 8

Repeal

Directive 2002/31/EC is repealed from 1 January 2013.

Article 9

Transitional provision

Article 10

Entry into force and application

This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.

ANNEX I

Definitions applicable for the purposes of Annexes II to VII

For the purposes of Annexes II to VII, the following definitions shall apply:

(1) ‘Reversible air conditioner’ means an air conditioner capable of both cooling and heating;

(2) ‘Standard rating conditions’ means the combination of indoor (Tin) and outdoor temperatures (Tj) that describe the operating conditions while establishing the sound power level, rated capacity, rated air flow rate, rated energy efficiency ratio (EERrated) and/or rated coefficient of performance (COPrated), as set out in Annex VII, table 2;

(3) ‘Indoor temperature’ (Tin) means the dry bulb indoor air temperature [°C] (with the relative humidity indicated by the corresponding wet bulb temperature);

(4) ‘Outdoor temperature’ (Tj) means the dry bulb outdoor air temperature [°C] (with the relative humidity indicated by the corresponding wet bulb temperature);

(5) ‘Rated energy efficiency ratio’ (EERrated) means the declared capacity for cooling [kW] divided by the rated power input for cooling [kW] of a unit when providing cooling at standard rating conditions;

(6) ‘Rated coefficient of performance’ (COPrated) means the declared capacity for heating [kW] divided by the rated power input for heating [kW] of a unit when providing heating at standard rating conditions;

(7) ‘Global warming potential’ (GWP) means the measure of how much 1 kg of the refrigerant applied in the vapour compression cycle is estimated to contribute to global warming, expressed in kg CO2 equivalents over a 100 year time horizon; GWP values considered will be those set out in Annex I of Regulation (EC) No 842/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council (²); for fluorinated refrigerants, the GWP values shall be those published in the Third Assessment Report (TAR), adopted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (³) (2001 IPCC GWP values for a 100 year period); for non-fluorinated gases, the GWP values are those published in the first IPCC assessment (⁴) over a 100 year period; total GWP values for mixtures of refrigerants shall be based on the formula stated in Annex I of the Regulation (EC) No 842/2006; for refrigerants not included in the above references, the IPCC UNEP 2010 report on Refrigeration, Air Conditioning and Heat Pumps, dated February 2011, or newer, shall be used as a reference;

(8) ‘Off mode’ is a condition in which the air conditioner or comfort fan is connected to the mains power source and is not providing any function. As off mode also are considered conditions providing only an indication of off mode condition, as well as conditions providing only functionalities intended to ensure electromagnetic compatibility pursuant to Directive 2004/108/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (⁵);

(9) ‘Standby mode’ means a condition where the equipment is connected to the mains power source, depends on energy input from the mains power source to work as intended and provides only the following functions, which may persist for an indefinite time: reactivation function, or reactivation function and only an indication of enabled reactivation function, and/or information or status display;

(10) ‘Reactivation function’ means a function facilitating the activation of other modes, including active mode, by remote switch including remote control, internal sensor, timer to a condition providing additional functions, including the main function;

(11) ‘Information or status display’ is a continuous function providing information or indicating the status of the equipment on a display, including clocks;

(12) ‘Sound power level’ means the A-weighted sound power level [dB(A)] indoors and/or outdoors measured at standard rating conditions for cooling (or heating, if the product has no cooling function);

(13) ‘Reference design conditions’ means the combination of requirements for the reference design temperature, the maximum bivalent temperature and the maximum operation limit temperature, as set out in Annex VII, Table 3;

(14) ‘Reference design temperature’ means the outdoor temperature [°C] for either cooling (Tdesignc) or heating (Tdesignh) as described in Annex VII, Table 3, at which the part load ratio shall be equal to 1, and which varies according the designated cooling or heating season;

(15) ‘Part load ratio’ (pl(Tj)) means the outdoor temperature minus 16°C, divided by the reference design temperature minus 16°C, for either cooling or heating;

(16) ‘Season’ means one of the four sets of operating conditions (available for four seasons: one cooling season, three heating seasons: average / colder / warmer) describing per bin the combination of outdoor temperatures and the number of hours these temperatures occur per season for which the unit is declared fit for purpose;

(17) ‘Bin’ (with index ‘j’) means a combination of an outdoor temperature (Tj) and bin hours (hj), as set out in Annex VII, Table 1;

(18) ‘Bin hours’ means the hours per season (hj) the outdoor temperature occurs for each bin, as set out in Annex VII, Table 1;

(19) ‘Seasonal energy efficiency ratio’ (SEER) is the overall energy efficiency ratio of the unit, representative for the whole cooling season, calculated as the reference annual cooling demand divided by the annual electricity consumption for cooling;

(20) ‘Reference annual cooling demand’ (QC) means the reference cooling demand [kWh/a] to be used as basis for calculation of SEER and calculated as the product of the design load for cooling (Pdesignc) and the equivalent active mode hours for cooling (HCE);

(21) ‘Equivalent active mode hours for cooling’ (HCE) means the assumed annual number of hours [h/a] the unit must provide the design load for cooling (Pdesignc) in order to satisfy the reference annual cooling demand, as set out in Annex VII, Table 4;

(22) ‘Annual electricity consumption for cooling’ (QCE) means the electricity consumption [kWh/a] required to meet the reference annual cooling demand and is calculated as the reference annual cooling demand divided by the active mode seasonal energy efficiency ratio (SEERon), and the electricity consumption of the unit for thermostat off-, standby-, off- and crankcase heater-mode during the cooling season;

(23) ‘Active seasonal mode energy efficiency ratio’ (SEERon) means the average energy efficiency ratio of the unit in active mode for the cooling function, constructed from part load and bin-specific energy efficiency ratio's (EERbin(Tj)) and weighted by the bin hours the bin condition occurs;

(24) ‘Part load’ means the cooling load (Pc(Tj)) or the heating load (Ph(Tj)) [kW] at a specific outdoor temperature Tj, calculated as the design load multiplied by the part load ratio;

(25) ‘Bin-specific energy efficiency ratio’ (EERbin(Tj)) means the energy efficiency ratio specific for every bin j with outdoor temperature Tj in a season, derived from the part load, declared capacity and declared energy efficiency ratio (EERd(Tj)) for specified bins (j) and calculated for other bins through inter/extrapolation, when necessary corrected by the degradation coefficient;

(26) ‘Seasonal coefficient of performance’ (SCOP) is the overall coefficient of performance of the unit, representative for the whole designated heating season (the value of SCOP pertains to a designated heating season), calculated as the reference annual heating demand divided by the annual electricity consumption for heating;

(27) ‘Reference annual heating demand’ (QH) means the reference heating demand [kWh/a], pertaining to a designated heating season, to be used as basis for calculation of SCOP and calculated as the product of the design load for heating (Pdesignh) and the seasonal equivalent active mode hours for heating (HHE);

(28) ‘Equivalent active mode hours for heating’ (HHE) means the assumed annual number of hours [h/a] the unit must provide the design load for heating (Pdesignh) in order to satisfy the reference annual heating demand, as set out in Annex VII, Table 4;

(29) ‘Annual electricity consumption for heating’ (QHE) means the electricity consumption [kWh/a] required to meet the indicated reference annual heating demand and which pertains to a designated heating season; and is calculated as the reference annual heating demand divided by the active mode seasonal coefficient of performance (SCOPon), and the electricity consumption of the unit for thermostat off-, standby-, off- and crankcase heater-mode during the heating season;